Michigan court upholds solar deals covering 563 acres in $330m project

A legal battle over farmland in western Michigan has ended with a ruling that could keep a major solar development moving. For the Smallegan family, however, the decision means hundreds of acres tied to their agricultural land will remain under agreements with renewable energy developer RWE, bringing a long-running dispute over the future of the property into sharper focus, states an online report by Fox17.Judge upholds solar agreementsAccording to the report, Ottawa County Circuit Judge Jon Hulsing has ruled in favour of RWE Solar Development, finding that the company properly exercised lease options covering about 562.8 acres owned by members of the Smallegan family.The land forms a significant part of the proposed Silver Maple Solar project, a roughly 1,900-acre development planned across Zeeland and Jamestown townships.